Citations - Mr. Jerry Kennelly (Business/Entrepreneurship)

Jerry Kennelly is recognised as one of Ireland's leading entrepreneurs. Jerry started business as a photojournalist in 1981 working for a freelance agency in Tralee covering Ireland for international and national papers for 15 years. He also worked in his family's business Kerry's Eye as it is known to-day.

While working as a freelance photographer Jerry developed an idea that would set him on the road for global success and In 1996, Jerry founded Stockbyte, a company that supplied stock photographs in digital form to newspapers and magazines around the world. Jerry based his company on our shared campus with Shannon Development's Kerry Technology Park.

Within 10 years, Stockbyte and Stockdisc captured 10 per cent of the global market in royalty-free stock photography and produced the highest pro-rata profit and profitability per employee in this worldwide industry. Stockbyte (itself a winner of the DHL Exporter of the Year Award) and Stockdisc were sold to Getty Images in April 2006.

Apart from his involvement with Stockbyte, Jerry Kennelly has made many other contributions to Irish life. Jerry's success and personality was instrumental in instilling an ethos of 'worldwide success from your home base', an ethos which has flourished over recent years on campus in Kerry Technology Park.

Jerry has been instrumental in the launch and roll out of the very successful Young Entrepreneur Programme which is aimed at fostering an entrepreneurship culture among second and third level students. He has spearheaded the programme since the concept was first mooted in 2006 with the Institute and Kerry Technology Park. Jerry is also central to the development of the Endeavour Programme which will be launched in the Autumn.

As an individual his ability to consistently deliver at the highest level of innovation and creativity, coupled to his commitment to execution at the highest level is unrivalled.

Jerry has been honoured by the Deloitte Fast 50 Awards and was named the Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005.

If Kerry is to become, as I believe it can, a role model for innovation and entrepreneurship, the continued development of programmes such as the Young Entrepreneur Programme, will be crucial in ensuring prospects for the next generation by attracting and producing indigenous industry.

Jerry has devoted a huge amount of his time to voluntary work. He took up a challenge from John O'Shea of Goal to set up a sustainable business in Africa and founded Create Africa.

The Institute is proud to confer Jerry Kennelly with the Award of an Honorary Fellowship.

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